In a high-stakes match of wits on Thursday, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took to the stage during a CNN presidential debate and made several false and misleading claims. Trump, however, surpassed Biden by making more than 30 false claims during the event, reminiscent of their 2020 debates.
Among Trump’s false claims were repeated assertions that have already been debunked, such as Democratic states allowing babies to be executed after birth, all legal scholars wanting Roe v. Wade overturned, and no terror attacks occurring during his presidency. Trump also added new falsehoods, including claims that the US currently has its biggest budget and trade deficits with China.
On the other hand, Biden also made at least nine false or misleading claims during the debate. These included false numbers regarding his Medicare policies, inaccurately claiming no US troops had died on his watch, and baselessly stating that Trump wants to eliminate Social Security.
One of the key moments during the debate was when Trump claimed that all legal scholars and everybody wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. However, this claim was refuted by various polls showing that most Americans actually supported preserving Roe v. Wade. Legal scholars also expressed that Trump’s claim was false and not in line with their views.
Another contentious issue arose when Trump falsely claimed that Democrats support killing babies after birth, which is categorized as infanticide and illegal in all 50 states. He referenced a controversial bill in Virginia as an example, but this bill did not advocate for infanticide.
Additionally, Trump denied using the words “suckers” or “losers” to describe fallen US military members, a claim that was initially reported by The Atlantic and corroborated by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Trump’s denial of these remarks was deemed false.
Overall, the debate was marked by a flurry of false claims from both candidates, leaving fact-checkers scrambling to uncover the truth behind their statements.
